Happy Valley day meetings are a welcome break from the monotony of the long Hong Kong season for many participants and one galloper who likes the sun on his back at the city circuit is Grateful Heart.
Grateful Heart shocked punters by saluting at $83 during February’s Happy Valley day fixture, and the six-year-old will be looking to repeat the dose at the tight-turning track this weekend.
Grateful Heart lines up in the feature event of this term’s sole Happy Valley day meeting – the Class Two Guangzhou Handicap (1,200m) at a course and distance over which he has won three times.
However, a lot has changed since Grateful Heart’s victory in February. That win was at 1,000m, came under Harry Bentley and occurred while he was in the care of Danny Shum Chap-shing.
Fast forward nearly nine months and Grateful Heart is trained by Chris So Wai-yin after an off-season stable change and will be ridden by Jerry Chau Chun-lok.
“When he came to us from Danny Shum’s stable, it seemed like the horse was sound and everything has been good,” So said.
“We need all the higher-rated horses we can get. We don’t have that many, so thanks to the owner for giving me this horse. I was happy to take him.”
Rated 92 – the same mark on which he won in February – Grateful Heart is So’s highest-rated horse.
While the handler feels he might need a little more ratings relief, he is confident his first-up third on the all-weather track and subsequent stint in Conghua will ensure he can produce something close to his best.
“I think his rating is still high, but his last run was pretty good. Happy Valley is more suitable for him. After his last run, we planned for this race,” So said.
“I really hope he runs a good race to repay the owner. I think he can improve from his last run. Physically, he seems very well, and Conghua has done him good.”
So also saddles up Joy Master, Strive For Glory and Lyrical Motion on Sunday afternoon as he looks to add to his six winners so far this campaign, highlighting the latter as another galloper he expects to be competitive.
The five-year-old son of Not A Single Doubt had eight starts in his maiden Hong Kong campaign for a best finish of third and has moved nicely in the lead up to his seasonal debut, winning a recent Happy Valley trial by two and a half lengths.
That trial victory came over 1,000m under Zac Purton and So is persisting with that formula for the Class Four Huizhou Handicap over five furlongs this weekend, with Lyrical Motion drawn to jump from gate two.
“Last year, we aimed for the 1,200m, but in a couple of his races, when he hit the line, he was just a bit weak,” So said.
“That’s why I’m trying him over 1,000m. There’ll be more pace and we can let him finish strongly. He’s drawn nicely. He’s still a maiden, but I hope he’s ready to win now.”
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